
REPORTS OF COMMISSION 



MEMORIAL 




General Israel Potnam, 



GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 1887. 



MAJORITY AND MINORITY REPORTS, 



|^rii)Icd cy (jrclcr o[ l]-)c Oci-)cra! (/Isscn^bly. 



HARTFORD, CONN. 
Press ok Tns Casr, Lockwood & Buainard Company, 

issr. 



■REPORTS OF COMMISSION 



MEMORIAL 




General Israel Putnam, 



GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 1887. 



MAJORITY AND MINORITY REPORTS. 



^piijfed W yrdep 0J flje (grerjereu ^ssertjJalv. 



HARTFORD, CONN. 
Pkess of Ths Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. 

1887. 






\^^- 



\909 



b. ot 0* 






MAJORITY EEPOET. 



To the General Assembly, State of Connecticut, January Session, A.D. 1887: 

The undersigned, having been appointed, by the General 
Assembly at its January Session, A.D. 1886, a commission to 
procure a monument to the memory of Major-General Israel 
Putnam, and to erect the same over his remains, in the town 
of Brooklyn, in this State, as will more fully appear by a 
copy of said act hereto annexed, would respectfully report : 

That immediately upon their said appointment, they met 
at Hartford on the 19tli day of February, and having duly 
organized, unanimously adopted the following : 

Voted, To invite designs for a monument, to he erected 
in Brooklyn, Connecticut, to the memory of General Israel 
Putnam, said design to be submitted to the Secretary of the com- 
mission, on or before the 15th of May, A.D. 1886. No restriction 
is made upon the nature, style, or character of the monument, ex- 
cept that its cost must not exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars. 
The commission will allow the sum of two hundred and fifty dol- 
lars, for any design they may choose to accept. 

A large number of artists accepted this invitation, and 
submitted designs according to the terms of said vote. Some 
of them were exceedingly appropriate and meritorious. As 
will be seen, no restrictions were made upon the nature or 
style of the monument, and among the number submitted was 
a design for an equestrian statue, which was so appropriate 
that the commission were of the oj^inion that if it were pos- 
sible to procure a monument of that character within the sura 
appropriated, they ought so to do. They therefore rejected 
all designs, as was their privilege, and advertised for a further 
competition, limiting tlie same to equestrian statues. At their 



second competition, fonr designs of exceptional merit were 
submitted, one by Mr. E. S. Woods of Hartford, one by Mr. 
Geo. E. Bissell of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., one by tlie Bridge- 
port Monumental Bronze Company, and a fourth by Mr, 
Karl Gerliardt of Hartford. After several days of very care- 
ful study and consideration the committee made selection of 
the design presented by Mr. Gerhardt, and voted him the 
two hundred and lifty dollars award. They subsequently on 
the 2d day of October, A.D. 1886, entered into a contract 
with him to erect a monument modeled on that design, on the 
site selected by the commission, for the sum of nine thousand 
seven hundred and fifty dollars. The names of the artists 
who so kindly submitted their designs to the commission are 
hereto annexed, as also a copy of the contract entered into 
with Mr, Gerhardt. 

The act of the General Assembly requires that the monu- 
ment should be erected, in the town of Brooklyn in this State, 
and " over the grave " of the General, A literal compliance 
with this direction, if the act was to be interpreted to mean 
over the grave M'here the General was originally buried, was 
found to be impossible, as even the simplest monument in that 
place would have interfered with the right of others in a 
manner in which the commission had neither the power nor 
the inclination to do. Upon this fact being brought to the 
attention of the descendants of General Putnam, they acting 
through and by the Hon. Wm. H. Putnam, a lineal descend- 
ant of the General, immediately signified their willingness 
to remove his remains to such place as the commission might 
select, so that tiie monument when erected should in fact 
stand over his grave ; and this too without any expense to the 
State. As they had the legal right to make such removal, 
the commission could see no objection to such course. 

In the matter of selecting the site, the commission here 
had a great deal of trouble, and have been com])elled to hold 
a large number of meetings. The public s<piare in the village 
of Brooklyn belongs to the First Unitarian Society, but upon 
such terms and conditions tliat the Society was not willing 



that the monument should be erected or tlie interment made 
at that place lest tlieir title to such property miu;ht be 
endangered. A public spirited citizen of the town tried to 
purchase tlie lot upon which the house of General Putnam 
stood, in order to present it to the State, as a site for tlie 
monument, but as he was unable so to do, the Commission 
finally selected the location a few rods below the public square. 
It is on the northeast corner of the historic Mortlake 
property. To the north is the old church, where Putnam 
rang- the bell and attended service ; to the northeast, near 
the site of his inn, stand the i-emains of the tree on which hung 
tlie tavern sign ; to the east, the field where the old hero left 
his plow and the quiet pursuits of husbandry, for the cause 
of liberty and the field of battle. To this place the descend- 
ants of General Putnam have removed his remains, and plac- 
ing them in a sarcophagus they have l)een built into the foun- 
dation upon which the statue will ultimately rest. In its 
work the commission has been greatly assisted hy the untiring 
energy, kindness, and generositj^ of the lion. Thos. S. Marlor. 
He not only donated to the State, the plot of ground upon 
which the monument wnll stand, but graded the same, paved 
and erected a granite roadw^ay and coping around it. The 
town of Brooklyn, at a legal meeting warned for that pur- 
pose, generously voted the sum of five hundred dollars, which 
has enabled the commission to carry on its work and pay the 
necessary expenses of advertising, etc. 

It is hoped and expected that the monument will be ready 
to be delivered over to the State, during the early part of the 
coming Summer, complete and paid for, within the amount 
appropriated. Every effort will be made to accomplish this 
result by the 17th of June. 

It would be fitting that this event should be celebrated in 
a manner worthy of the memory of Connecticut's greatest 
revolutionary hero, and of the dignity of the State. If it 
should seem best to your Honorable Body that tlic Si;ite 
should take part in the ceremonies incident to the uineiliiig, 
presentation, and acceptance of this work of art, which we 



trust and believe will be a fitting tribute on the part of a 
grateful people to one who gave his all for American inde- 
pendence, it will be necessary for you to take into considera- 
tion some bill directing the manner of, and providing the 
means for, such ceremony. All of which is respectfully sub- 
mitted. 

On behalf of the Committee, 

MOERIS W. SEYMOUE, 
HEMAN A. TYLER. 



[Substitute for House Joint Resolution No. 12.] 
PROVIDING FOR MONUMENT TO GENERAL ISRAEL PUTNAM. 

Resolved hy this Assemhly : 

That Henry M. Cleveland of Brooklyn, Heman A. Tyler of 
Hartford, George F. Holcombe of New Haven, George P. McLean 
of Simsbury, Morris W. Seymour of Bridgeport, and Henry C. 
Robinson and George G. Sumner of Hartford, are hereby appointed 
a commission to procure a monument to the memory of General 
Israel Putnam, and cause the same to be placed over his grave in 
the town of Brooklyn. 

Sec. 2. Said commission is hereby authorized to make a con- 
tract in the name and on behalf of the State with some competent 
person to be by them selected for constructing said mnoument, 
and placing it m position over said grave; provided, that the ex- 
pense to the State of said work shall be limited in said contract to 
a sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars. 

Approved, February 19, 1886. 



LIST OF COMPETITORS FOR THE PUTNAM MONUMENT 

DESIGN. 

No. 1. John Bishop, New London, Conn. 

No. 2. Charles Conrad, Hartford, Conn. 

No. 3. Berkshire Marble Company, Boston, Mass. 

No. 4. Karl Grerhardt, Hartford, Conn. 

No. 5. S. Maslen & Company, Hartford, Conn. 

No. 6. John Baptista, Chelsea, Mass. 

No. 7. Wm. Booth, New London, Conn. 

No. 8. Calvin S. Davis, Waterford, Conn. 

No. 9. Charles F. Stoll, New London, Conn. 

No. 10. Thomas W. Casey, New London, Conn. 

No! 11. Alfred P. Stoll, New London, Conn. 

No. 12. George E. Bissell, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 

No. 13. Andrew O'Connor, Worcester, Mass. 

No. 14. Simonson & Poll, Washington, D. C. 

No. 15. White Bronze Company, Bridgeport, Conn. 

No. 16. R. L. Pierson, Park Place, N. Y. 

No. 17. George Keller, Hartford, Conn. 

No. 18. Enoch S. Woods, Hartford, Conn. 

No. 1 9. Smith Granite Company, Providence, R. 1. 

No. 20. John Reicther, Hartford, Conn. 

No. 21. Alexander Doyle, Great Jones Street, New York. 

No. 22. C. S. Luce, West 23d Street, New York. 

No. 23. New England Granite Company, 1321 B'dway, N. Y. 

No. 24. George Crabtree, New Britain, Conn. 

No. 25. John Hanna, New Britain, Conn. 

No. 26. Brunner & Tryon, Union Square, New York, 

SECOND COMPETITION. 

Enoch S. Woods, Hartford, Conn. 

George E. Bissell, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 

Karl Gerhardt, Hartford, Conn. 

Bridgeport Monumental Bronze Company, Bridgeport, Conn. 

Andrew O'Connor, Worcester, Mass. 

CONTRACT WITH KARL GERHARDT. 

This agreement made and entered into this 2d day of October, 
A, D. 1886, by and between the State of Connecticut (by its 



agents iindersigned) of the first part, and Karl Gerhardt of Hart- 
ford, Connecticut, of the second part, witnesseth as follows : 

Said Gerhardt hereby agrees to make a bronze equestrian statue 
of Israel Putnam, with granite or other stone pedestal, in accord- 
ance with specifications hereunto appended. 

And said Gerhardt agrees that he will execute all said work with 
his best skill and ability, and that he will submit to the inspection 
and approval of said agents his design and studies of any and 
every part of said work, and will conform to their express wishes 
in fashioning and constructing the same. 

And the said Gerhardt agrees to complete the same to the ac- 
ceptance and approval of said commission on or before the first 
day of October, 1887, absolutely, and on or before June 1st, 1887, 
if possible. 

And said party of the first part, agrees upon the full and com- 
plete performance of said undertaking by said Gerhardt, as herein- 
before set forth, to pay to him the sum of ($9,750) nine thousand 
seven hundred and fifty dollars. 

Specifications of Equestrian Statue of Israel Putnam, loith pedestal and 
foundation, to he made for the State of Connecticut by Karl Gerhardt. 

Statue and. pedestal to be made after the style of the design ac- 
cepted by the Putnam Monument Commission, subject to altera- 
tions to be made by said commission, which alterations are to be 
made in all cases without extra charge by said Gerhardt. 

The statue and pedestal together to be twenty-five feet in height, 
divided as follows : Statue to be twelve feet in height ; pedestal 
to be thirteen feet in height. 

The statue to be composed of the best bronze, finished in work- 
manlike manner, and chemically colored. 

The pedestal to be of granite, or other stone, its character, 
whether Westerly, Quincy, or other granite, or freestone or other 
stone, to be determined by the commission. 

Stones to be used in pedestal to be of dimensions, and to be 
dressed as prescribed by said commission, and all to be pure, homo- 
geneous, and free from white horse or other defect. 

If said pedestal shall be built of freestone, it shall be subjected 
to such treatment as said commission may prescribe, and each 
stone therein contained shall be accepted by said agents of the 
State. 



Said pedestal shall have a bronze frieze of oak and laurel leaves 
encircling the cap stones to tablets, to be made of the best bronze 
in workmanlike manner and chemically colored. 

Tablets are to be made on each side running from capstone to 
platform which forms part of base of pedestal, and said tablets are 
to bear the original inscription of General Putnam's tombstone, 
written by President Dwight of Yale College, the same to be cut 
on the surface of the tablets. 

On either end of said pedestal there shall be an ornamental 
wolf's head, composed of best bronze, finished in workmanlike 
manner, and chemically colored, and forming a division of seats. 
Said pedestal to be built after the design accepted by said 
commission. 

The base stones of said pedestal are to be twenty-two feet and six 
inches in length, twelve feet and six inches in width, and twelve 
inches in depth. Upon said stones and surrounding the base of 
the pedestal is to be erected a granite seat, one and one-half feet in 
height, to be completed after the manner of said design. Founda- 
tion to be laid to the acceptance of said commission, in all respects, 
as to depth, size, quality, and dressing of stone, character of ma- 
terial, and workmanship. 

The same to be built in the town of Brooklyn, Connecticut, in 
such place as said agents shall designate, and said pedestal Lnd 
statue are to be placed thereon by said Gerhardt. 

All of said undertakings by said Gerhardt are to be done to the 
acceptance and approval of said commission. 

HENRY M. CLEVELAND 
HEMAN A. TYLER 
KARL GERHARDT. GEORGE P. McLEAN, 

MORRIS W. SEYMOUR 

HENRY c. Robinson' 

GEORGE G. SUMNER.' 
By HEMAN A. TYLER, 

Secretary. 

Hereunto authorized. 

The form of the foregoing contract is approved by us. 

HENRY C. ROBINSON, 
GEO. P. McLEAN, 
HEMAN A. TYLER, 
GEORGE G. SUMNER. 
Hartford, October 2, 1886. 



10 

SPECIFICATIONS FOR GRANITE PEDESTAL. 

Specifications for a Granite Pedestal and foundation for an Equestrian 
Statue to General Israel Putnam to be erected at Brooklyn, Conn. 

Excavate the earth twenty-two feet six inches by twelve feet 
nine inches, to a depth of six feet. 

Level the bottom of excavation and lay thereon a foundation of 
sound stones, witb flat beds laid in Portland cement mortar, com- 
posed of one part cement and three parts clean sharp sand, the 
stones settled well together, all the interstices filled with cement 
mortar ; lay the foundation level with the surface of the surround- 
ing ground. 

Provide a pedestal of granite in accordance with design already 
submitted, to be composed of dark Qiiincy granite, same as taken 
from the quarry, each stone to be approved by the commission be- 
fore accepted. 

The platform, the seal, the cap. the edges of the tablets to be 
finely patent hammered. 

The face of tablets to be polished, the remainder of exposed sur- 
faces to be finely pointed. 

The beds of the joints to be true and level, the joints to be care- 
fully pointed with Portland cement. 

All the material and workmanship to be of the best quality. 

The granite work to be thoroughly cleaned after it is set in 
position. 

The granite work to be securely anchored to the backing, when 
necessary, with copper anchors, f of an inch in diameter. 

The platform composed of eight stones. 

Cap-stone — single stone (see drawing for cap and size). 

Platform, 22' 6" X ^'^' 6" X l'-^" — ^^ cut patent hammered. 

Seat, ] 9' 9" X ^^' 3" X 1' 6"— 10 cut patent hammered. 

Die, 17' 0" X 7' 6" X 9' 0"— finely pointed. 

Tablet, polished, 10' 9" X 5' 6" x 10". 

Cap-stone, 1 2' 0" X 6' 3" x 1' 6'. 

KARL GERHARDT. 

Respectfully submitted, 

HEMAN A. TYLER, 
Secretary Putnam Monument Commission. 
Specially authorized. 
Hartford, Oct 2, 1886. 



11 

WARRANTEE DEED. 

THOS. S. MARLOR TO STATE OF CONNECTICUT. 

To all people to whom these presents shall come, greeting : 

Know ye that I, Thomas S. Marlor of the town of Brooklyn, 
County of Windham, and State of Connecticut, for the considera- 
tion of One Dollar received to my full satisfaction of the State of 
Connecticut, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and confirm, unto the 
said State of Connecticut one certain tract of land situated in said 
town of Brooklyn, bounded and described at follows, to wit: 
Beginning at the southeast corner of said tract, at a stone post, 
thence north 8:^° east 64 feet 6 inches, bounded easterly by the 
highway leading from Brooklyn to Plainfield, thence north 79° 
west 78 feet, bounded north on land of the First Trinitarian Soci- 
ety, thence south 10°, west 66 feet 3 inches, bounded west on land 
of said grantor, thence south 80° east 80 feet to first-mentioned 
point. It is understood and agreed that the above-described piece 
of land is to be used for a site for a monument to be erected to 
the memory of General Israel Putnam. 

To have and to hold the above granted and bargained premises, 
with the appurtenances thereof, unto said State, its successors and 
assigns forever, to it and their own proper use and behoof. And 
also, I, the said grantor, do for myself, my heirs, executors, and 
administrators, covenant with the said State, its successors and 
assigns, that at and until the ensealing of these presents, I am well 
seized of the premises as a good, indefeasible estate in fee simple, 
and have good right to bargain and sell the same in manner and 
form as is above written; and that the same is free from all incum- 
brances whatsoever. And the said grantor by these presents 
binds himself, and his heirs, and assigns forever, that no building 
shall .be erected further east than at present standing on land of 
said grantor adjoining. 

And furthermore, I, the said grantor, do, by these presents, 
bind myself and my heirs forever to warrant and defend the 
above-granted and bargained premises to said State and its suc- 
cessors and assigns, against all claims and demands whatsoever. 

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 
fourth day of September in the year of our Lord 1886. 

THOMAS S. MARLOR. (l. s.) 

Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of 

William F. Henney, ) 

E. H. Hyde, Jr. i" 



12 



State of Connecticut. 

Haktford County 



^ t ss. Hartford, Sept. 4, A.D. 1886. 



Personally appeared Thomas S. Marlor, signer and sealer of the 
foregoing instrument, and acknowledged the same to be his free 
act and deed before me, 

WILLIAM F. HENNEY, 

Justice of the Peace. 

WARRANTY DEED. 

To all 2^eople to whom these presents shall come, greeting: 

Know ye that I, Thomas S. Marlor of the town of Brooklyn, 
County of Windham, and State of Connecticut, for the considera- 
tion of one dollar received to my full satisfaction of the State of 
Connecticut, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and confirm unto the 
said State of Connecticut, certain land situated in said Brooklyn, 
and described as follows, to wit: A certain driveway situated on 
the south side of property deeded by this grantor to the State by 
deed dated September 10, 1886, and recorded in Brooklyn Land 
Eecords, Vol. 13, page 78. Said way being sixteen feet (16) 
wide, and bounded north on land of the State, east by highway, 
south by the Mortlake Hotel property, so called, and west by said 
Mortlake Hotel property, extending seventy feet in length, more or 
less. 

The said Marlor, grantor, hereby reserving to himself, his heirs, 
and assigns, a right of way over the land herein conveyed, said 
right to include all privileges of ingress and egress which may be 
necessary to the use and enjoyment of the said Mortlake Hotel 
property. 

To have and to hold the above granted and bargained premises, 
with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said State, its successors 
and assigns forever, to it and their own proper use and behoof. 

And also, I, the said grantor, do for myself, my heirs, execu- 
tors, and administrators, covenant with the said State, its succes- 
sors, heirs, and assigns, that at and until the ensealing of these 
presents, I am well seized of the premises, as a good, indefeasible 
estate in fee simple, and have good right to bargain and sell the 
same in manner and form as is above written ; and that the same is 
free from all incumbrances whatsoever, except as above stated. 

And furthermore, I, the said grantor, do by these presents bind 
myself and my heirs forever to warrant and defend the above- 



granted and bargained premises to the said State, its successors 
and assigns, against all claims and demands whatsoever, except as 
above stated. 

In witness whereof, T have hereunto set my hand and seal this 
twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord eighteen 
hundred and eighty-seven. 

THOMAS S. MARLOR. (l. s.) 

Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of 

C. S. L. Marlor. 

James C. Palmer. 



>■ ss. Brooklyn, Jan. 25, A.D. 1887. 



State of Connecticut, 
County of Windham, 

Personally appeared Thomas S. Marlor, the signer and sealer of 
the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged the same to be his 
free act and deed. 

Before me, JOHN P. WOOD, 

Notary Public. 



14 



COPY FROM THE RECORDS OF THE TOWN OF BROOKLYN. 

"Resoh)ed, That a committee of fifty (50) be appointed for the 
town to act in harmony with the wishes of the Putnam Monument 
Commission in the dedicatory services of the proposed Putnam 
Monument, consisting of the following gentlemen: 



Benjamin A. Bailey, 
William H. Putnam, 
Thomas S. Marlor, 
William Clapp, 
Stephen H. Tripp, 
Enos L. Preston, 
Theodore D. Pond, 
Rev. Thomas Fogg, 
Charles B. Wheatley, 
William H. Cutler, 
Rev. E. S. Beard, 
Charles Phillips, 
Rev. G. W. Brewster, 
Henry H. Green, 
Haschael F. Cox, 
Charles G. Williams, 
JohnG. Potter, 
Samuel Bradford, 
Vine R. Franklin, 
Amos Kendall, 
Charles Searls, 
Albert Day, 
L. S. Atwood, 
Rev. S. F. Jarvis, 
Frank E. Baker, 
A true copy. 



John M. Brown, 
Rev. William Gussman, 
John Hyde, 
Darius Day, 
Henry S. Marlor, Jr., 
Rev. A. J. Culp, 
John N. Burdick, 
George Brown, 
Elias H. Main, 
James C. Palmer, 
Simon Shepard, 
Albert D. Putnam, 
Edwin Scarborough, 
Joseph B. Stetson, 
Thomas R. Baxter, 
Willard Day, 
Frank Day, 
Charles H. Cornwall, 
Ephraim Prentice, 
Russell W. Bailey, 
Willis A. Kenyon, 
Daniel B. Hatch, 
J. Sprague Bard, 
Wellington E. James, 
John A. Sharpe. 



Attest, THEO. D. 



POND, 

Chairviav. 



MINORITY REPORT. 



To the Honorable the General Assembly : 

As a member of the Putnam Monument Commission, I 
beg leave to make to your Honorable body this Minority 
Report. In the fall of 1885, the town of Brooklyn, by a 
unanimous vote, appropriated five hundred dollars to aid in 
the erection of a monument over General Putnam's grave. 
The General Assembly of 1886 appropriated ten thousand 
dollars to aid in the erection of said monument over the said 
grave, and appointed a commission to attend to its purchase 
and erection. The following is the resolution by which the 
commission was appointed and authorized to act : 

Resolved hy this AssemhJy : 

Section 1. That Henry M. Cleveland of Brooklyn, Heman A. 
Tyler of Hartford, George F. Holcombe of New Haven, George P. 
McLean of Simsbury, Morris W. Seymour of Bridgeport, and 
Henry C. Robinson and George G. Sumner of Hartford, are 
hereby appointed a commission to procure a monument to the 
memory of General Israel Putnam, and cause the same to be 
placed over his grave in the town of Brooklyn. 

Sec. 2. Said commission is hereby authorized to make a con- 
tract, in the name and on behalf of the Slate, with some competent 
person to be by them selected for constructing said monument, 
and placing it in position over said grave; provided, that the 
expense to the State of said work shall be limited in said contract 
to a sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars. 

It was found, upon examination, that it would be imjjracti- 
cable to place the monument over the grave, and it was 
decided to select a site, either in the cemetery or in the vil- 
lage. The commission voted to contract for an equestrian 



16 

statue; but as tlie cemetery would be an inappropriate place 
for such a statute, they decided to select a site in the vilhige. 
The town offered no site, for reasons well understood in 
"Windham County. The Unitarian Society, claiming the 
common on which there is a very desirable location, declined 
to tender it for the use of the State. Several sites were ten- 
dered the commission by a citizen of Brooklyn, one of which 
is known as the post-office site, and this was accepted by the 
commission, four of the members voting for it, two declining 
to vote for its acceptance, one member being absent when the 
vote was taken. There was no division in the commission as 
to the necessity of violating the resolution by which we were 
appointed, as it seems to me we have done, as the resolution 
provides that the monument shall be "placed over his grave." 
I am quite sure that every member of the General Assembly 
who voted for the appropriation believed that the location of 
the monument was Settled by the resolution, and that the 
"grave" named in the resolution meant the place where 
Putnam had lain during the century. But this is not now 
the most important question. Being obliged to abandon the 
grave, the question now arises. Has the commission made a 
selection that will reflect credit upon the State and upon the 
memory of Putnam ? I think it has not, for the following 
reasons, namely : The site selected is a part of the yard 
attached to the IVfortlake Hotel, which stands on the south 
side of the site, and between the site and the hotel is the 
driveway to the hotel barn, and the distance from the coping 
around the monument on that side to the hotel is some sixteen 
or seventeen feet, and the coping on the south side is about 
on the line dividing the State land from the hotel land ; so 
that the drive around the monument on that side must be 
ujxin land belonging to the hotel property. I understand 
that the donor of the site offers to guarantee right of way, 
but I am sure that the State ought not to depend u[)on a 
permit to get around its ten-thousand-dollar monument. The 
site is in dangerous ])roximity to the hotel, the Congregational 
church, and the post-office building, which stands close to the 



17 

west line of the State land. These buildings are all of wood, 
and the destruction of either of them by fire would inevitably 
damage, if not destroy, the monument. The donor of this 
site owned two others, one being the best in the village, and 
the other far superior in every respect to the one accepted. 
This second site mentioned was tendered to the commission, 
but afterward the offer was withdrawn. I believe that a 
large majority of unprejudiced citizens in Windham County 
condemn the site selected, and Ivarl Gerhardt, who has the 
contract for the statue, disapproves of the site after a careful 
examination. The State has made a liberal appropriation, 
and is entitled to the best site in the village, and ought not 
to be satisfied w^ith a very undesirable one. In view of the 
facts and reasons above stated, I am compelled to dissent 
from the report of the majority of the commission. Here my 
responsibility ends. Your Honorable Body will wisely deter- 
mine whether it is your duty to examine this matter before 
the monument is erected, and before you make an additional 
appropriation. All of which is respectfully submitted, 

H. M. CLEYELAND. 



LIBRARY OF CONroiror 

iilii 

•^ wil 699 158 5 



